I mentioned a conundrum in my article about installing the safety rails: the original chromed bronze machine screws are all 1/2″ too short, and I hadn’t been able to find any fastener specialists that had 5/16-18 x 6″ stainless oval head, Phillips drive screws to replace them. Thanks to everyone who provided ideas for working around the problem, but one reader demonstrated exemplary internet search mojo and found a source that had them in stock! I’m not sure what’s so “environmentally friendly” about this boating supply store, but greenboatstuff.com had them and they’re on the way!
Next, I attached 1/2″ spacers to the overhead frames so the polished stainless machine screws and washers will be at the same height as the Whisper Wall headliner.
The washers and machine screws need to seat up against something at this height, same as the headliner
Three 5/16-18 machine screws go through here to secure the big chromed bronze mast base
Spacers are ready to be installed
I installed small 1/2″ plywood blocks where all of the bolts go through a frame
The screw is only held in place by friction
There’s also a light switch that has to get bumped out 1/2″
There’s also a light switch that has to get bumped out 1/2″
The mast wiring is already in place
That’s a wrap for the spacers
Next, I mixed up some epoxy to plasticize all of the screw holes
Injecting epoxy into each screw hole to prevent rot
This is the same approach I used on the mahogany toe rail stanchions, drilling the screw holes, then filling them with epoxy that soaks into the wood and drilling that out once it cures. That leaves behind a plastic hole instead of a wooden one. If these ever leak in the future, it won’t lead to rotten salon ceiling frames.
Cured epoxy fills the hole
Unfortunately, it doesn’t show up in the picture, but there are bubbles in the top of the cured epoxy from where it displaced air in the wood.
Next day, drill out the epoxy
That’s a wrap for plasticizing the screw holes
Now I just have to wait for the screws to arrive. Meanwhile, there’s more prep going on for the headliner.
Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Refurbishing 50-year Old Screens
1969chriscraftroamer46 